News

To prevent smuggling city wants check on private wharfs

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu City government is calling on authorities to look into the operation of private wharfs in its neighboring areas, fearing the possibility that they are being used to smuggle goods. In its recent meeting, the city’s Police Coordinating Advisory Council (PCAC) disclosed it has received intelligence reports that private wharfs outside Cebu City are “not in any way monitored or regulated.” “It is more than likely that the entry of contrabands to Cebu City and province ensue in these unmonitored private wharfs,” reads the minutes of the meeting furnished to the press. The PCAC considers the reports as “alarming.”

“Exchange and transport of smuggled products, drugs and prohibited or illegally-seized goods, and other related illegal activities are also likely to take place in these ports,” the minutes read further.

PCAC has requested the PNP Maritime group, the Cebu Port Authority, the Philippine Navy and other law enforcement agencies to look into the wharfs’ operations.

USP starts field trials of FDA fake drug screening device

CD3 imageThe US Pharmacopeial Convention has started field testing a new low-cost screening device designed to detect counterfeit and poor quality medicines quickly. The handheld CD-3+ unit – originally developed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – uses multiple light sources to look at packaging using different wavelengths and provide images that can be interpreted by the user to differentiate between genuine and falsified medicines. The approach may also be applicable to individual tablets.

USP and the Center for Pharmaceutical Advancement and Training (CePAT)- which was launched last year to equip national and local regulatory authorities in Sub-Saharan Africa with the knowledge and skills to promote access to quality medicines – will carry out the field trials.

http://www.securingindustry.com/pharmaceuticals/usp-starts-field-trials-of-fda-fake-drug-screening-device/s40/a2056/#.U6PkGpSSzlI

Counterfeit clippings: news in brief

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has been denied involvement in an ongoing lawsuit in Maine, US, which is trying to repeal a law that allows state residents to buy medicines from other countries such as Canada, reports Pharmalot. The drug industry organisation has been using the lawsuit as a platform to warn of the dangers of allowing people to import drugs from overseas, which it maintains raises the risk of exposure to falsified, expired or low quality medicines. The judge in the case has concluded however that PhRMA should be shut out from proceedings because it was unable to demonstrate how drugmakers could be harmed by the law. Responding to its exclusion, PhRMA associate general counsel John Murphy said the organisation “continues to believe that Maine’s drug importation law conflicts with FDA’s authority to regulate prescription medication distribution in the US.”

http://www.securingindustry.com/pharmaceuticals/counterfeit-clippings-news-in-brief-/s40/a2057/#.U6PkFJSSzlI

Screening technique detects illegal cosmetics

Eye make up Researchers in Belgium have road-tested a technology that could be used to screen cosmetic products for illegal whitening agents.

The team from the Scientific Institute of Public Health used a technology called attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR) alongside simple chemometric analysis to identify samples of creams, lotions and soaps containing illegal substances.

They recorded spectra for 150 suspicious cosmetic products and compared them to test samples representing both bona fide agents – with approved whitening agents such as kojic acid, arbutin and nicotinamide – as well as illegal agents that were adulterated with corticosteroids, hydroquinone and the severe acne drug tretinoin.

http://www.securingindustry.com/cosmetics-and-personal-care/screening-technique-detects-illegal-cosmetics/s106/a2054/#.U6PkHpSSzlI

The Health and Economic Effects of Counterfeit Drugs.

The issue of counterfeit drugs has been growing in importance in the United States, with the supply of these counterfeit drugs coming from all over the world. Innovation is important to economic growth and US competitiveness in the global marketplace, and intellectual property protections provide the ability for society to prosper from innovation. Especially important in terms of innovation in healthcare are the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. In addition to taking income from consumers and drug companies, counterfeit drugs also pose health hazards to patients, including death. The case of bevacizumab (Avastin) is presented as one recent example. Internet pharmacies, which are often the source of counterfeit drugs, often falsely portray themselves as Canadian, to enhance their consumer acceptance. Adding to the problems are drug shortages, which facilitate access for counterfeits. A long and convoluted supply chain also facilitates counterfeits. In addition, the wholesale market involving numerous firms is a convenient target for counterfeit drugs. Trafficking in counterfeits can be extremely profitable; detection of counterfeits is difficult, and the penalties are modest.

Conclusion

Counterfeit drugs pose a public health hazard, waste consumer income, and reduce the incentive to engage in research and development and innovation. Stronger state licensure supervision of drug suppliers would be helpful. Technological approaches, such as the Radio Frequency Identification devices, should also be considered. Finally, counterfeit drugs may raise concerns among consumers about safety and reduce patient medication adherence.

Intellectual property represents original, creative works and innovations who belonging to inventors, artists, musicians, and authors who, and businesses that, create something or acquire rights to a creation. The exclusive rights and legal protections of intellectual property come in the form of copyrights, trademarks, and patents. These protections encourage innovation and creativity, but the rewards for innovation and creativity can be undermined by widespread theft associated with counterfeiting and trafficking of pirated goods. The Internet has become an important and convenient means for consumers to shop and save money. However, websites that traffic counterfeit goods have flourished on the Internet, creating confusion between which sites sell authentic goods and which do not.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4105729/

Reynolds American launches site, teams with ex-fed to raise awareness on cigarette trafficking

RICHMOND, Virginia — Reynolds American Inc. is inviting lawmakers, law enforcement officials and others to take a trip along “the New Tobacco Road,” where organized criminals are garnering huge profits for smuggling cigarettes and selling them on the black market with a quick drive along the East Coast’s major interstate.

The owner of the nation’s second-biggest tobacco company launched a website Thursday aimed at raising awareness of cigarette trafficking, which is estimated to cost states $5.5 billion annually in lost tax revenue. Reynolds said it hopes the site with studies and news reports will help illustrate that cigarette smuggling isn’t a victimless crime and provide governments with information about stiffening penalties and increasing enforcement.

Europe minister calls on Spain to operate reasonable regime at frontier

Minister for Europe David Lidington says he is impressed by the ‘significant steps’ taken by the Gibraltar government to tackle tobacco smuggling. Having said that he says that smuggling does not justify the ‘disproportionate regime’ at the Spanish border, and calls on Spain to operate a reasonable regime and work in partnership wih Gibraltar on such matters. This is Mr Lidington’s statement in full: “I am impressed by the significant steps taken by Gibraltar to tackle tobacco smuggling. A commitment to cut the number of cigarettes allowed at the border by 90% will be just one of a package of tough measures taken and I am confident that we will see a significant impact on levels of smuggling as a result.

http://www.panorama.gi/localnews/headlines.php?action=view_article&article=11922&offset=0

Two N.Y. men charged with cigarette smuggling

Two men were charged with smuggling cigarettes after they were stopped with thousands of packs on Interstate 95, police reported.

About 5:09 p.m. Saturday, Maryland State Police trooper Duane Freeman pulled a 2013 Kia Optima over for exceeding the speed limit on the northbound interstate near mile marker 103.4, according to a state of probable cause. After conducting the stop, a K-9 scan of the car was requested and it resulted in a positive alert for controlled dangerous substances, police reported.

http://www.cecildaily.com/news/local_news/article_79dc5824-b0c8-5e1a-8bed-d75cc1b0024e.html